Candidates in Madison Common Council District 8 primary interrogated!

The Common Council primary getting the most attention is District 2, where incumbent Brenda Konkel is facing four challengers. But District 8, which includes downtown Madison and much of campus, is wide open after Ald. Eli Judge announced he was vacating his seat.

The four challengers, all UW-Madison students and political rookies, respond to a set of questions from The Daily Page below. The primary is set for Tuesday, February 17.

The Daily Page: Based on websites, you and your opponents all seem to agree on what the big issues are. Why should we vote for you over the others?

While my opponents and I seem to share similar views on important problems facing District 8 and the city, I believe my policy proposals are the most realistic in terms of their ability to be completed while in office and given the limited budget Madison will have in this economy. In addition, as I have outlined already in my campaign and will in the coming days and weeks through policy proposals, my positions are the most comprehensive, outlining a broad array of topics and potential solutions for the issues pressing the student body. I am not focused on just one issue, nor do I have only one "solution" to the problems. Be it safety, transportation, tenants rights, or the environment -- in all aspects of my campaign, I have extensively researched the issue and consulted relevant actors to ensure my stances would make for good public policy.

Many of your goals have relatively slow rates of return (environmental sustainability, residential rights, curbing underage drinking). How will you prove yourself in the early days of your term, should you be elected?

I do not think it is unrealistic for any of my goals to be accomplished. Alder Judge was able to pass a major initiative relatively soon after taking office (the textbook ordinance) and there is no reason why I should not be able to also pass parts of my agenda. If it is fiscally responsible and good policy, the Council will be likely to listen to my suggestions. However, the nature of public policy is that officials do not have a magic wand. Certainly crime will not go away over night, nor will poverty, but through staying accountable to my constituents, I will be able to communicate what I seek to work on so the residents of the 8th District will know what I am up to, even if the issues I am tackling require a long-term approach.

A lot of press about your candidacy is really vague. Can you explain some precise, concrete measures you intend to take to improve District 8?

To improve downtown and campus safety, I have a two-pronged approach, focusing on short-term action and long-term solutions. In the short-term, I would like to expand funding lines for neighborhood watch programs, keep community police officers [on the streets], continue to stress the need for strategic residential lighting initiatives like the recent Downtown Residential Lighting Initiative, fund programs like the downtown safety initiative and hold frequent and inclusive safety forums so the all stakeholders can highlight common sense approaches to improve campus and downtown safety. In the long-term, I support the funding of social services to reduce homelessness and poverty, while promoting alternative recreational activities to keep people away from crime.

Other areas of specific action include expanding bike routes, a test line of bus routes to evaluate if a Rapid Transit Authority would be efficient, promotion of specific anti-icing chemicals to alleviate the salt/sanding problems we face in the winter and increased visibility of the Alderman position through continued "Alder Hours", online communication and listening sessions.

I will be releasing a set of highly specific proposals in the coming days and weeks, so more of these issues will be outlined as I continue through the campaign. Check www.bryoneagon.com to learn more.

Despite the youth activism in the recent election, students are notoriously politically disengaged. What is your strategy for reaching undecided or unknowing voters?

I intend to knock on the doors of as many people as possible in my district or reach them through some medium. Local politics is all about face-to-face contact. It is important for students to be informed and engaged on issues they deal with day-to-day. Including students in ideas and discussions and letting them know how local issues impact them will hopefully help reach as many students as possible.

The Daily Page: Based on websites, you and your opponents all seem to agree on what the big issues are. Why should we vote for you over the others?

I represent your typical young adult here on campus. I have experienced the majority of problems we are faced with in the 8th District and the city as a whole, and I will do everything possible to improve your future experiences as you live, work, or go to school here in Madison. If elected, I will provide the 8th District with the strong voice it deserves. Most importantly, this voice will not simply reflect my personal beliefs, nor that of any political party or special interest group, but it will be the collective voice of you the people.

Many of your goals have relatively slow rates of return (environmental sustainability, residential rights, curbing underage drinking). How will you prove yourself in the early days of your term, should you be elected?

If elected, I expect the early days of my term to illustrate my enthusiasm and work ethic. I will prove to be an active participant in the council, working with established Alder's in order to bring your voice to the discussion of all city matters, and not just those of District 8. I would demonstrate my willingness to learn from my fellow city council members, as well as my ability to work with them in order to make the changes the city needs.

A lot of press about your candidacy is really vague. Can you explain some precise, concrete measures you intend to take to improve District 8?

If elected, I plan to address the issue of safety on numerous fronts. I will work to expand the Downtown Residential Lighting Initiative, which improves lighting by providing grants to property owners who wish to add lighting to their properties. I will work with landlords to ensure that their homes are secure and up to code, therefore providing you with the safest home possible. A shift in the attention of the police force away from students underage drinking and towards more vital issues [is] long overdue and could go a long way in improving our safety. This will be a slow battle, but one I will fight by organizing the masses to show that the public's perceptions are misconceived. The University of Wisconsin is an extremely well respected educational institution, and while we like to have our fun, the university would not be held in such high regard if we were not intelligent and responsible adults.

I will propose reducing the hassles of apartment hunting through the penalizing of landlords or property managers who are found to knowingly misrepresent their properties.

I will ensure the sidewalks and roads are kept clear during the winter by protecting the city's snow removal budget during these tough economic times and looking to increase the efficiency of their procedures. I would work to increase the reporting of property owners who neglect to clear their sidewalks by encouraging public involvement and potentially adding the responsibility of reporting unclear sidewalks to an existing agency such as parking enforcement patrols.

Despite the youth activism in the recent election, students are notoriously politically disengaged. What is your strategy for reaching undecided or unknowing voters?

The recent rise in political involvement by our generation has been deservedly commended yet must continue to grow. We have shown our strength and I believe still have vast quantities of untapped potential. It can be easy to let less publicized issues slip under our radars. However, to be taken seriously we must increase the scope of our involvement. I hope to bring this election to the attention of as wide an array of people possible through speaking with a diverse group of student organizations. I believe this will allow me to tell as many people as possible about the importance of this election, once again uncorking [our] potential for change.

The Daily Page: Based on websites, you and your opponents all seem to agree on what the big issues are. Why should we vote for you over the others?

We can all agree that safety, our environment and the rights of tenants are extremely important.However, I feel that our first priority must be safety and I am the only candidate who has the experience to tackle such an issue. I have worked since August with the UW's Alcohol and other Drug standing committee on issues in the city and on campus. That familiarity with the issues has given me the proper perspective on the situation. My opponents will agree that lighting and neighborhood watch programs are good measures to take to ensure safely, but neither of these can serve as a replacement for law enforcement presence. I am not afraid to challenge the police department or hold them accountable for crime that happens in highly populated areas while they are busy raiding bars and house parties. We cannot afford another day of law enforcement concentrating their resources in places that compromise the safety of our citizens. I believe that I am the most equipped to take on the challenge of addressing safety in Madison, and therefore, the best voice for the 98% student district which I would represent.

Many of your goals have relatively slow rates of return (environmental sustainability, residential rights, curbing underage drinking). How will you prove yourself in the early days of your term, should you be elected?

This is an important question. In order to address these long-term goals, we must approach each issue in the short-term to help alleviate the problems. First, I would fight to open the line of communication between the city council and the local law enforcement. If we can practically approach the situation and, in turn responsibly locate law enforcement in areas all across the city, we can help directly reduce crime. Second, before we can even glance at a long-term approach to our environment, we must address the sources of pollution under our noses. Switching the coal plants over to co-generation will take some time, but I would push to put into place legislation that puts the plan in motion as soon as possible. This will allow us to look further into the future with other issues relating to our environment. Lastly, many landlord and tenant disputes will take place in the time it will take to set up and pass through a special hearing for such issues. In that light, my first priority with tenants is to educate them on the current ways to protect themselves against their landlords. If tenants we aware, for example, that they could request a picture of all damage that is taken out of security deposits, more disputes could be resolved outside of the legal process. Hopefully the education of current laws would help tenants until I was able to push through new residential rights.

A lot of press about your candidacy is really vague. Can you explain some precise, concrete measures you intend to take to improve District 8?

Issue number one, without question, is the safety of not only the students, but of all citizens of Madison. Currently, there is a problem with the priorities of law enforcement, namely in District 8. Law enforcement feels forced to deal with house parties and bar raids, instead of concentrating on the most important issue-patrolling on the street where violent crime persists. I plan to propose that all local establishments in the downtown area open their doors to anyone 18 years or older. I believe that this will draw students out of unsafe house parties and allow enforcement to go back out on the street where they belong. The number one priority of law enforcement in this city must be the safety of its citizens.

The second issue I would bring to city council is related to our environment in the city. Specifically in District 8, I would be proposing that the Charter Street Coal Plant be switched over to cogeneration, a cleaner form of energy. This coal plant has been found guilty of violating the Clean Air Act in a law suit won by the Sierra Club. The city and the university want to take the lead in the Green Revolution, yet this continues to be one the largest polluting coal plants in the entire state. We must protect our air and our water against a primitive and a highly polluting form of energy still operating in this district.

The last issue I will be bringing to city council is the examination of the renter's process in the city. We are forced to sign leases that not only force us into strict perimeters, but [we must] sign these leases as early as October. I would be proposing a date in which landlords had to wait to begin signing leases. This would allow potential tenants to be more informed about the property they are interested in, and it would cut down on the time between security deposit collection and move-in day. There also must be a way for tenant/landlord issues to be heard outside of a formal legal proceeding. I would propose a hearing process that would allow the many landlord/tenant issues to be heard in a timely fashion to help protect the tenants against dishonest landlord behavior.

Despite the youth activism in the recent election, students are notoriously politically disengaged. What is your strategy for reaching undecided or unknowing voters?

The goal of my campaign is to bring the issues that are most important to students to the city council. In order to try and reach out to potential voters, it is my responsibility to educate them on the issues that directly affect their every day lives. It is my plan to be accessible and visible to voters in the next weeks leading up to the primary and beyond. By making as much contact as possible, through the combination of the internet and personal contact, I hope to show students that my issues are the same ones that they experience on a day-to-day basis.

The Daily Page: Based on websites, you and your opponents all seem to agree on what the big issues are. Why should we vote for you over the others?

I believe my opponents and I most likely agree on what the big issues are; however I feel that I am the best at properly handling those issues in a timely and responsible manner. I bring a unique way of engaging with the community and building the Eighth District as a progressive place to live for issues regarding environmental sustainability, community safety, residential rights and community-building. I believe it is necessary for the alder of the Eighth District to know both community and campus organizing spheres, and in this regard, I have unmatched experience as someone with long time community involvement to connect people working on the ground to the Madison Common Council. I am not a career politician, but rather a veteran community organizer and student advocate who will support and work for often-marginalized communities, like students and workers, who deserve equal access to the Madison Common Council and the city's resources.

Many of your goals have relatively slow rates of return (environmental sustainability, residential rights, curbing underage drinking). How will you prove yourself in the early days of your term, should you be elected?

Residents of the Eighth District know that proactive leadership is necessary and possible. This change comes in both short and long-term proposals and victories. If elected, I will hold monthly listening sessions in each of the Eighth District's four wards to gather valuable resident perspectives on what needs to be changed or supported in our community, as well as meet with community organizations and student organizations. I intend to create a report after the first 30 days of being elected detailing who I have met with, what key concerns and solutions our community is working on and how we as district residents can support collaborative efforts to create improvements in environmental sustainability, community safety, residential rights and community building. Along with listening sessions to end this semester, I will hold a forum next fall, called "State of the Eighth" to inform residents about current issues facing not only the district but also all of the Madison community.

A lot of press about your candidacy is really vague. Can you explain some precise, concrete measures you intend to take to improve District 8?

In my community safety plan, More Than Just Might: A Comprehensive Plan for Community Safety, I address many of the concerns of residents in the Eighth District, responsibly and progressively, and provide a road map for making the District a more comfortable place for its residents. I want to work on residential rights by having the Tenant Bill of Rights posted in all rental properties and supporting an operational rate-your-landlord website. I plan to collaborate with property owners and businesses to use more environmentally sustainable products such as CFL light bulbs, biodegradable containers and encouraging consumer responsibility in the products we use such as working with local businesses to give incentives for consumers that bring their own reusable bags. I feel it is incredibly important to make sure there is affordable public transportation for those in our community that need it the most and have the worst access issues, while equally working on biking issues, especially the equal and safe plowing of Madison bike paths. Something close to my heart is building the Eighth District community into something that residents can be proud of and enjoy, which is why I propose community murals in the Eighth District to reflect the diversity of its residents.

Despite the youth activism in the recent election, students are notoriously politically disengaged. What is your strategy for reaching undecided or unknowing voters?

I have worked with many student organizations, community groups and individuals across Madison for many years, so I am confident in my ability to activate Eighth District residents. I am working hard to get residents to the polls so that they can have an Alder who has worked side-by-side with them for years [and who can] amplify their voices in innovative and fresh ways. As a candidate, I will continue to work with student and community organizations and to knock on every district door to meet new and amazing residents who are looking to be engaged in conversations and community-building to discuss and solve key concerns and issues. At the end of the day, I want this campaign to be fun and engaging, to get residents excited about the possibilities of having a proactive, capable and progressive as the Alder of the Eighth District and making the Eighth District a safe space for a diverse array of ideas and people.